Podcasting Up, Pandora Listening Down

That’s according to the Jacobs Media 12th annual Tech Survey which was conducted between January 19 and February 22. Jacobs surveyed media habits of listeners from 245 radio stations in 12 formats with 39,500 respondents. Podcasting is on the rise, according to the survey results. Close to three in ten (28%) have listened to a podcast or on-demand audio in the past month, up from last year’s levels (21%).

Jacobs says Pandora listening is off, with three in ten (28%) checking out Pandora on a weekly basis, a slight drop from last year, while fewer than one-fifth (18%) use iHeartRadio through the course of a typical week. And, audio streaming is steady, according to Tech Survey 12, with about six in ten (57%) streaming audio weekly or more often – flat from last year.

Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs said, “Every year when we sit down to analyze the data, we’re in search of ‘the one big thing’ that impacts radio. This year, we see strong signs that podcasting may emerge as a game-changer for broadcasters. This new survey also includes preferred podcasting categories for each format audience, providing a guide to station content creators. More and more consumers own connected televisions, and their changing video consumption signals similar increases for on-demand audio. Every broadcaster should be developing a podcasting content strategy.”